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The lakes and rivers in Stearns, Benton and Wright counties will be filled with boats this weekend as Minnesota's traditional fishing opener begins Saturday.

The COVID-19 outbreak has changed many guidelines for the upcoming season, but it's also increased interest in fishing for many Minnesotans. There will be many places to drop the boat in the water or wet a line from shore around the St. Cloud area.

"As we all know, the Minnesota fishing opener is a time honor tradition," said DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen during a phone press conference Wednesday. "And as we also know, the COVID-19 pandemic is changing a lot of things, and the fishing opener is no exception to that."

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Fishermen try their luck near the shoreline of homes along the Mississippi River in 2018.
Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@stcloudtimes.com
Fishermen try their luck near the shoreline of homes along the Mississippi River in 2018.(Photo: Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@stcloudti, Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@stcloudti)

The Department of Natural Resources announced guidelines Wednesday about fishing close to home for the opener and the season as the COVID-19 outbreak continues to increase in Minnesota.

The guidelines for fishing close to home include three aspects: no overnight stays, bring all needed supplies with you, and go only as far as you can travel and return on a single tank of gas (or a single charge for electric cars).

Strommen understands how easy it can be to transmit the virus, so she's wants people to minimize possible community spread by not visiting grocery stores or gas stations near where they fish if it's far from their current residence.

"Part of that tradition is teaching that next generation," Strommen said. "I think this is an opportunity to teach that next generation to protect our fellow Minnesotans by fishing close to home."

Along with those three guidelines, Strommen added a few more suggestions.

The first is to practice social distancing on the lake and at the boat launch.

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Alvon Carter tries his luck fishing as water rushes from the St. Cloud Dam on the Mississippi River Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019, in St. Cloud. After recent rainfall, 2019 is now St. Cloud's third wettest year on record. (Photo: Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@stcloudtimes.com)

The DNR is recommending boats to stay 6 feet away from other boats on the lake as well as give time and space to others at the launch.

Strommen also added only individuals in the same household should be in the same boat.

With the increased number of people expected on lakes these next few weekends, Strommen said this could be an opportunity to find a new lake and get creative.

"Minnesota has an abundance of fishing opportunities, an abundance of outdoor recreation opportunities," Strommen said. "We really do want to encourage people to think creatively about those places that are close to home."

If individuals decide to go fishing, a license is required. It's easy to get a license online instead of picking up a license at a gas station or local bait shop, DNR leaders said.

Brad Parsons, DNR fisheries section manager, said the number of licenses sold is up over 40 percent compared to last year at this time. It's the best numbers the DNR has seen in over 20 years, and that's due to a handful of nice weekends in April and more time for individuals with COVID-19 shutting down most of the state.

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A fisherman casts a line into Little Rock Lake Monday, May 7, near Rice.(Photo: Jason Wachter, jwachter@stcloudtimes.com)

So far this year, the DNR has issued 362,000 licenses, about 110,000 more licenses than last year at this time.

Parsons also is encouraging people to use the resources on the DNR's website with Lake Finder and the 2020 regulations. He also suggested that people should have a back up plan incase the lake is busy.

"It's a family activity. Families are spending more time together," Parsons said. "It's inexpensive, you don't need a fancy boat. There's a number of shore fishing opportunities."

The piers and shore fishing are still open and allowed by the DNR, but Strommen said to maintain the 6-foot distance. The best way to check is by using a fishing pole because most poles are about 6 feet.

Joe Stewig, DNR area fisheries manager in Sauk Rapids, said local counties should have a strong opener. The crappies and sunfish are starting to come out with the weather and he's expecting a good opener.

Even though he anticipates strong fishing on many local lakes, Stewig suggested a few lakes to keep your eyes on for the opener and throughout the summer.

The Sauk River Chain of Lakes should be strong for walleye fishing. Also, that chain could soon have some new restrictions. Stewig said there's a possibility the possession limit for bluegills will go from 20 to five later on in the summer.

Fishing in August(Photo: Jerry Carlson)

The reason is to continue building the numbers of bluegills. Stewig added that Two Rivers Lake should be a good spot for the summer.

If individuals are fishing for trout, Big Watab Lake will be a good spot as the DNR just added more trout to that lake. Individuals will need to buy a trout stamp with their license, though, if they want to trout fish.

The smaller lakes in Stearns, Wright and Benton counties will have plenty of active panfish. The bigger lakes in Wright County, especially in the Clearwater and Annandale area, will have medium to low amounts of walleye.

"There's many different spots to go to in these counties," Stewig said. "It should be a very good opener."

Finally, Rodmen Smith, DNR Enforcement Division director, said people should have patience when it comes to boat launches as spring maintenance hasn't completely finished across the state. The COVID-19 outbreak delayed the process a little bit, but he expects most launches to be good to go for opener.

He also added that basic requirements are still in tact like having a life jacket for each person on a boat and making sure all aquatic vegetation is removed before leaving the launch after fishing. Boats need to be cleaned and drained to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.

"Nothing about this situation is easy. It's obviously a very difficult situation in our attempt to address COVID-19," Strommen said. "Minnesotans are anxious to get out. Businesses are anxious to reopen. We also know that many, many Minnesotans also have extreme stress and anxiety regarding their health, so really this is about striking a balance between that opportunity and ensuring that we are keeping Minnesotans safe and healthy."

While fishing is a year-round sport for many, hunting seasons are much shorter and require some sense of urgency in preparations.(Photo: Scott Mackenthun)

Brian Mozey is the high school sports reporter for the St. Cloud Times. Reach him at 320-255-8772 or bmozey@stcloudtimes.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrianMozey.